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GRI 401: Employment 2016 · Topic Standard · Cross-sectoral
Disclosure GRI 401-3

Parental leave

Practical guidance for preparing this disclosure. Use this card to identify datapoints, verify claims and organise supporting evidence. For exact requirements, always refer to the official GRI source.

Dr Ross Kurinko, GRI Certified Trainer
Reviewed by Dr Ross Kurinko · GRI Certified Trainer LRA educational guidance · Not issued or endorsed by GRI
Disclosure focus

This disclosure asks an organisation to explain how it supports employees who take parental leave and what actually happens in practice. The focus is not just on whether a policy exists, but on the leave arrangements available, who can use them, and how the organisation tracks take-up and return to work across the workforce.

Practically, the report should cover the organisation’s full employee base rather than only a few well-supported sites or headline examples. It should show whether the approach is applied consistently across operations, and make clear any differences by location, contract type, or employee group where those affect access to parental leave or the way it is used.

* This LRA educational guidance supports disclosure preparation. For the exact requirements, always refer to the official GRI source.

Before you start

A quick mental checklist before you prepare this disclosure — tick each as you settle it.

Preparation
Key datapoints to prepare
DatapointWhat to captureEvidence hintOwner
Employee genderThe gender category used for the employee count, as reported in the source population for this disclosure.HRIS employee master data, workforce reporting extract, or the internal diversity reporting definition used for the period.HR / People Analytics
Parental leave eligibilityThe number of employees who were eligible to take parental leave during the reporting period.HR policy eligibility rules, leave administration records, and the workforce population used for the period.HR / Leave Administration
Parental leave takersThe number of employees who actually took parental leave during the reporting period.Leave management system, payroll absence records, or HRIS leave extract for the reporting period.HR / Payroll
Return-to-work countThe number of employees who came back to work in the reporting period after their parental leave ended.Return-to-work records, HRIS status changes, and leave end dates matched to the reporting period.HR / People Operations
Twelve-month retentionThe number of employees who returned from parental leave and were still employed 12 months later.HRIS employment status history, return-to-work dates, and a 12-month follow-up check against active employment records.HR / People Analytics
Return rateThe percentage of employees who took parental leave and later came back to work in the reporting period, calculated from the leave-taker and return counts.Calculated from rows 2 and 3, with the formula and source counts retained for audit trail.HR / Reporting
Retention rateThe percentage of employees who took parental leave and were still employed 12 months after returning, calculated from the returnee and 12-month retention counts.Calculated from rows 3 and 4, with the formula, return dates, and employment-status evidence retained.HR / Reporting
Show GRI 401-3 sub-elements (LRA working checklist)
  • Use a gender category for the data point.
  • Work out how many people who took parental leave were still with the organisation 12 months after coming back.
  • Work out how many people came back to work after parental leave during the reporting period.
  • Count everyone who took parental leave.
  • Count everyone who had a right to take parental leave.

LRA working checklist - paraphrased; see official source

How to prepare
  1. Set the reporting boundary first: decide which workforce population and reporting period you will use, then apply that same scope consistently to every figure and rate in this disclosure.
  2. Define the eligibility rules in plain terms before counting anything: state who is treated as having access to parental leave, and make sure the same rule is used for all related totals.
  3. Gather the underlying records for each measure: the eligible headcount, the number who actually used leave, the number who came back during the period, and the number still employed 12 months later.
  4. Calculate the two percentages from the underlying counts, and check that the numerator and denominator match the way you have defined the leave population and the return-to-work cohort.
  5. Record any exclusions, adjustments, or changes in method, including why they were made and whether they affect comparability with prior periods.
  6. Review the final disclosure against the source material and your evidence pack to confirm the figures, wording, and scope are aligned before submission.
Want to do this on a real report? Practise GRI social disclosures live with Dr. Kurinko — GRI Standards Certified Training. Explore →
Request parental leave metrics from HR systems

Translate the disclosure into an internal business question — then adapt it to your organisation's own language.

How many people were eligible for parental leave, how many used it, and how many came back and stayed employed after returning during the reporting period?

Use your organisation’s own people-policy and leave terminology first, then map it to the reporting labels. Keep the request in the language your HR team, payroll team, or people analytics team already uses, and check the source material before sign-off.

Weak request

Please send the GRI 401-3 parental leave disclosure data.

Why it fails: This is too framework-led and does not tell the owner what to pull from their systems, which period to use, which population is in scope, or how to calculate the follow-up measures. It also leaves the owner to guess the internal labels and the source of truth.
Better request

Could you pull the family leave figures for [reporting period] from [source system(s)] for the employees in scope? Please provide the number of employees eligible for the leave, the number who used it, the number who returned during the period after the leave ended, and the number from that return group who were still employed 12 months later, split by [your gender categories]. Please include the return and retention percentages, the counting basis, and any exclusions or manual corrections.

Formal email template
Subject: Data request for parental leave reporting

Hi [name/team],

Could you please pull the people data needed for our sustainability reporting on family leave for [reporting period]?

We need the figures for:
- employees who were eligible for the leave arrangement
- employees who used the leave
- employees who came back to work during the period after the leave ended
- employees from that return group who were still employed 12 months later
- the related return and retention percentages
- the split by [your organisation’s gender categories]

Please use the figures from [source system(s)] and note the counting basis, any exclusions, and any manual adjustments.

If helpful, you can return the information in the table format below. Please also include a short note on how the numbers were built so we can check them before sign-off.

Thanks,
[preparer name]
Short Teams / Slack version
Hi [name/team] — could you share the family leave data for [reporting period] from [source system(s)]? We need counts for eligible employees, those who used the leave, those who returned in the period, those still employed 12 months later, plus the return and retention percentages, split by [your gender categories]. Please include the counting basis and any exclusions/corrections. Thanks.
Industry examples
Retail

Context. A large retailer tracks leave through an HRIS and separate store payroll records, with store and head office populations reported together.

Adapted request. Please provide the family leave figures for [reporting period] across store and head office employees, using the HRIS as the main source and payroll only where needed to confirm dates. Include eligible employees, employees who used the leave, returners in the period, and those still employed 12 months later, split by [your gender categories].

Example response. We used the HRIS extract dated [date]. Scope covers all employees in the reporting group. Eligible: 1,240. Took leave: 86. Returned during the period: 79. Still employed 12 months later: 72. Return rate: 91.1%. Retention rate: 91.1%. No manual adjustments.

Manufacturing

Context. A manufacturer records leave in an HR case tool, while employment status is confirmed through payroll and site HR records.

Adapted request. Please pull the parental leave data for [reporting period] from the leave case tool and confirm employment status through payroll/site records where needed. We need the eligible count, the number who took leave, the number who returned in the period, and the number still employed 12 months later, with the figures split by [your gender categories].

Example response. Source systems: leave case tool and payroll. Scope: production and office employees in the reporting group. Eligible: 430. Took leave: 28. Returned during the period: 26. Still employed 12 months later: 24. Return rate: 92.9%. Retention rate: 92.3%. Two records needed manual date checks.

The full request pack — response form, data table, evidence metadata and sign-off — is in the Download Centre.

Draft your disclosure

LRA training templates — adapt them to your organisation, and check the official source before sign-off.

Method note

Explain how you defined the employee groups, how you counted eligibility, leave use, returns, and 12-month retention, and what period and employment status rules you applied when calculating the two rates.

Context note

Set out what the figures say about uptake of parental leave and how many people came back and remained employed a year later, so readers can judge both participation and longer-term retention.

Fluctuation statement

If any figure moved noticeably from the prior period, note the main operational reasons you can evidence, such as changes in workforce size, gender mix, leave eligibility, or the timing of returns.

Content index entry

GRI 401-3 Parental leave — [location / page] / [notes]

Assurance readiness
For each claim, check the evidence
ClaimRiskEvidence to check
We built the coverage figure from the employee population we actually used for the period, and we kept the inclusion and exclusion rules consistent across the related counts.Assurer checks whether the population basis was defined before calculation, applied consistently, and not changed to improve the result.Population definition note; reporting boundary memo; HR headcount extract used for the calculation; reconciliation showing included and excluded employees; sign-off from the report owner.
For the entitlement count, we relied on HR records showing who had access to the leave arrangement during the period, rather than on estimates or manager recollection.Assurer probes whether the entitlement figure is supported by source records and whether the eligibility rule was applied correctly to the disclosed group.HR policy and eligibility rules; employee-level entitlement extract; system report or payroll/HRIS output; sample checks against contracts or employee records; evidence of review by HR and reporting teams.
For the take-up count, we used recorded leave events from the people system and removed duplicates so each employee was counted once for the period.Assurer checks whether leave events were complete, whether duplicate or overlapping records were handled properly, and whether the count matches the source system.Leave register or HRIS report; data-cleaning log; duplicate-removal rules; sample trace from employee record to reported figure; approval of the final dataset.
The return-to-work number was prepared from the same leave records, with a clear cut-off date so only people who came back within the reporting period were included.Assurer probes whether the timing rule was applied consistently and whether the reported number matches the underlying leave and return dates.Leave start/end records; return-to-work dates; period cut-off rule; reconciliation between leave register and reported count; exception list for cases with missing dates.
To support the 12-month follow-up figure, we checked employment status at the anniversary point after return and treated leavers in line with the documented rule set.Assurer checks whether the follow-up test was performed at the right point in time, whether employment status was verified, and whether departures were handled consistently.Employee status history; 12-month follow-up extract; rule for counting active employment at anniversary; evidence of how resignations, dismissals, or transfers were treated; review notes from HR or internal audit.
We calculated the return rate from the two underlying counts using the same period basis, and we reviewed the arithmetic before publication.Assurer probes whether the rate is mathematically correct, whether the numerator and denominator are aligned, and whether rounding or presentation changed the result.Calculation workbook; formula audit trail; source counts used in the rate; rounding policy; independent check or second-person review before sign-off.
Evidence pack to prepare
  • The governing policy or written commitment behind this disclosure
  • A methodology / definition note setting out how the disclosure was scoped and prepared
  • Source-system exports the figures or facts were drawn from
  • The internal approval / sign-off record for the disclosure before publication
  • Minutes or records evidencing the relevant engagement or consultation
Common reporting gaps
  • A percentage is stated without the underlying counts (numerator and denominator).
  • The denominator — what the figure is a share of — is not explained.
  • Partial scope is reported as if it were complete coverage.
  • One-off activities are counted as if they were ongoing programmes.
  • Boundary or period changes that move the figure are not flagged.
  • Exclusions from the reported scope are not listed or explained.
Examples
Illustrative examples

Synthetic, written by LRA — not from a company report, not text from any standard.

Retail · synthetic · written by LRA
Illustrative parental-leave outcomes by gender (people)
GenderEligible for parental leaveTook parental leaveReturned during the reporting period after leave endedStill employed 12 months after returnTotal
Women120969084390
Men80201817135

Synthetic example only: we report parental-leave take-up and return outcomes by gender, with the figures split between women and men. The rates shown are calculated from the relevant headcounts in each gender group, and the 12-month retention figure counts only those who had already come back and were still employed a year later.

This example shows how to present the gender split, the eligible population, leave take-up, return-to-work outcomes, and the two rates using internally consistent synthetic figures.
Manufacturing · synthetic · written by LRA
Illustrative parental-leave outcomes by gender (people)
GenderEligible for parental leaveTook parental leaveReturned during the reporting period after leave endedStill employed 12 months after returnTotal
Women210168160152690
Men140353331239

Synthetic example only: we set out parental-leave results by gender for our workforce, including who was eligible, who used the leave, who came back in the year, and who remained employed after 12 months. The return and retention percentages are based on the people who took leave in each gender group.

This example demonstrates the same disclosure for a different sector, with a different gender mix and consistent rate calculations.
Draft output & visualisation ideas

How to turn the collected data into a draft disclosure. The charts below are drawn from the illustrative figures above — swap in your own data.

Retail — Illustrative parental-leave outcomes by gender
Illustrative parental-leave outcomes by gender (people)0250500Eligible for parental leave: 120Took parental leave: 96Returned during the reporting period after leave ended: 90Still employed 12 months after return: 84390WomenEligible for parental leave: 80Took parental leave: 20Returned during the reporting period after leave ended: 18Still employed 12 months after return: 17135MenEligible for pare…Took parental lea…Returned during t…Still employed 12…
Manufacturing — Illustrative parental-leave outcomes by gender
Illustrative parental-leave outcomes by gender (people)05001,000Eligible for parental leave: 210Took parental leave: 168Returned during the reporting period after leave ended: 160Still employed 12 months after return: 152690WomenEligible for parental leave: 140Took parental leave: 35Returned during the reporting period after leave ended: 33Still employed 12 months after return: 31239MenEligible for pare…Took parental lea…Returned during t…Still employed 12…

Other views you could build

  • Parental leave participation by gender — bar: A side-by-side comparison of how many employees in each gender group were eligible for parental leave and how many actually used it.
  • Return-to-work and 12-month retention by gender — stacked bar: For each gender group, the number who came back after leave and the subset still employed 12 months later, showing the follow-through after return.
  • Leave take-up versus eligibility — bar: A simple comparison of eligible employees against those who took parental leave, helping readers see take-up against the available pool.
  • Return and retention rates over the reporting period — line: The reported return-to-work rate and retention rate across the period, if the organisation tracks these measures over time.
  • Gender split of parental leave outcomes — table: A compact table listing, by gender, eligibility, leave taken, returns to work, 12-month retention, and the two rates.
From a number to a disclosure

What separates a figure from a disclosure.

Basic

We reported 18 employees who took parental leave.

Better

We reported that 24 employees were eligible for parental leave, 18 took it, 15 came back during the year, and 14 were still with us 12 months later, giving a 83% return-to-work rate and a 78% retention rate.

Best

Across our whole workforce for the year, 24 employees were eligible for parental leave, 18 used it, 15 returned during the reporting period, and 14 were still employed 12 months later; the 83% return rate and 78% retention rate were lower than last year because more people extended their leave into the next period.

From company reports
Real published reports Compare side by side →Get it free

Real reports where this topic is disclosed. The confidence label shows how closely each match maps to GRI 401-3 — these are report practice, not exact disclosure examples.

CompanySector · CountryYearMatchPageReportAssurance
Cogna Educação S.A. Education Services · Brazil 2024 Partial p. 8 →p. 103 →p. 140 → Relato Integrado 2024 → KPMG
Evidence in Cogna Educação S.A.’s report

What the report shows

Cogna Educação S.A.'s 2024 Relato Integrado report provides detailed data on parental leave, including the total number of employees entitled to parental leave (men: 22,265; women: 11,310; p.141) and those who took parental leave during the year (men: 93 to 115; women: 381 to 436; p.141). The report also specifies the duration of extended parental leave as six months for maternity and 20 days for other cases (p.158). However, while the report includes some context on employees returning to work after parental leave, it does not provide a clear headline value for this metric (p.141), and no percentage values related to parental leave return rates were found.

Evidence-based summary of this company’s own report — not a disclosure template to copy, and not a compliance verdict.

Datapoint coverage

DatapointStatusPage
Employee genderA reported value was found on this page (%). covered p. 141
Parental leave eligibilityA reported value was found on this page. covered p. 141
Parental leave takersEvidence was found on this page. covered p. 141
Return-to-work countSupporting context was found, but no headline value. partial p. 141
Twelve-month retentionA reported value was found on this page. covered p. 158
Return rateNo quotable evidence was found in this report. not found
Retention rateA reported value was found on this page. covered p. 146

Source trail

  • p. 141Gender Number Rate Number Rate Number Rate Women 4,509 28.08% 4,636 31.91% 4,729 14.37% Men 3,128 55.77% 2,767 32.56% 2,833 7.96% TOTAL
  • p. 134WORKFORCE BY GENDER AND REGION 2-7 1,2,4 2022 2023 2024 Region Men Women Men Women Men Women
  • p. 139Men Women Men Women Men Women Entry-level wage paid by the organization R$ 1,212.00 R$ 1,212.00 R$ 1,320.00 R$ 1,320.00 R$ 1,412.00 R$ 1,412.00 Minimum
  • p. 140Gender Number Rate Number Rate Number Rate Women 3,655 74.78% 4,886 33.07% 5,080 14.89% Men 6,363 25.15% 2,856 32.75% 2,596 7.61% TOTAL
  • p. 19Women on Board (WOB) [Cogna] Since 2021 Empresa Amiga da Justiça (“Justice-Friendly Company”) [Cogna] Since 2021 Pró-Ética Badge
  • p. 141Total number of employees that were entitled to parental leave Men 22,265 11,310 12,533 Women
  • p. 147total revenue-generating management positions 56.89% Percentage of women in STEM positions (as a % of total STEM positions) 21.21% 2024 INTEGRATED
  • p. 134workforce to the specific needs of each region. 5 The absolute total for apprentices and interns based on payroll data
  • p. 134TOTAL 172 93 156 79 107 62 ¹ Board members, apprentices and interns were not included in the total number of employees
  • p. 147WORKFORCE DISTRIBUTION IN THE LAST FISCAL YEAR Percentage of women in total workforce (as a % of total workforce) 64.28% Percentage
  • p. 144total workforce 1.53% - Percentage of employees who completed graduate degrees through the company compared to total workforce 0.11% - Number of employees
  • p. 124employees to take part in identifying and ad­ dressing misconduct. THE CHANNEL IS ACCESSIBLE ONLINE HERE OR BY CALLING 0800-741-0018, MONDAY
  • p. 141Total employees who took parental leave during the current year Men 93 105 115 Women 381 404 436 Total
  • p. 158Parental leave Extended parental leave: six months for maternity leave and 20 days
  • p. 143work environment for all employees. 5 The count begins the day following the injury and ends upon return to work
  • p. 146WORKFORCE BY EMPLOYEE CATEGORY AND GENDER1 GRI 405-1  2022 2023 2024 Women Men Women Men Women Men C-Suite2
  • p. 145WORKFORCE BY EMPLOYEE CATEGORY AND ETHNICITY1, 2, 3 GRI 405-1 2022 2023 2024 Employee category White Mixed race Indigenous
  • p. 146WORKFORCE BY EMPLOYEE CATEGORY AND AGE GROUP1 GRI 405-1 2022 2023 20244 Under 30 30 to 50 Over 50 Under
  • p. 145female executive who was part of this group, which directly affected the gender composition during the reporting period. The variation
  • p. 148female executive who was part of this group, which directly affected the gender composition during the reporting period. In addition
  • p. 141Total employees who returned to work during the reporting period after parental leave
  • p. 6employees, customers, students, teachers, suppliers, investors, communities, and other stakeholders. The information in this report covers the period from
Abertis Ground Transportation — Highways and Railtracks · Spain 2024 Partial p. 256 →p. 259 →p. 164 → Abertis Annual Report 2024 → KPMG
Evidence in Abertis’s report

What the report shows

Abertis' 2024 Annual Report provides detailed workforce data by gender, working time, and activity, including full-time and part-time breakdowns (p.224), and reports on employees with disabilities (p.218). It also includes parental leave statistics and retention rates after 12 months for men and women (p.164), and presents gender distribution percentages across various categories (p.234). However, the report lacks specific percentage values for some metrics and does not provide certain numeric values or percentages that might be relevant for a fuller understanding of gender diversity or inclusion outcomes.

Evidence-based summary of this company’s own report — not a disclosure template to copy, and not a compliance verdict.

Datapoint coverage

DatapointStatusPage
Employee genderA reported value was found on this page (%). covered p. 234
Parental leave eligibilityA reported value was found on this page. covered p. 224
Parental leave takersNo quotable evidence was found in this report. not found
Return-to-work countA reported value was found on this page. covered p. 218
Twelve-month retentionA reported value was found on this page. covered p. 164
Return rateNo quotable evidence was found in this report. not found
Retention rateNo quotable evidence was found in this report. not found

Source trail

  • p. 234Total Abertis 98.7% 100.0% 0.0% 0.0% 93.9% 94.0% 0.0% 0.0% 64.0% 64.1% 0.0% 0.0% * Genders: Men (M), Women (W), Others
  • p. 166Men* Women* Men* Women* Senior management 361,164 301,701 348,969 280,049 Middle management 97,677 88,694 102,773 92,489 Other
  • p. 155EMPLOYEES BY WORKING HOURS, GENDER AND COUNTRY (AT 31 DECEMBER) Full-time Part-time Men* Women* Men* Women* France 1,466 651 13 67 Spain
  • p. 158employees are 59% men and 41% women, the same percentages as the previous year. Moreover, 32% of senior and middle
  • p. 226Men (M), Women (W), Others (O) and Not Reported by the employees themselves (NR). 2 There are no employees with
  • p. 229GENDER AND COUNTRY Men Women Others Not reported France 6.7% 6.1% 0.0% 0.0% Spain 3.4% 2.7% 0.0% 0.0% Italy 2.9% 2.6% 0.0% 0.0% Chile
  • p. 161Men* Women* Men* Women* Men* Women* France 100.0% 100.0% 100.0% 100.0% 100.0% 100.0% Spain 100.0% 100.0% 98.1% 91.3% 15.0% 9.2% Italy
  • p. 223employees themselves (NR). Company employees by working time NUMBER OF EMPLOYEES BY WORKING TIME, GENDER AND COUNTRY (at 31 December
  • p. 224workforce by working time, gender and activity at 31 December Full-time Part-time M* W* O* NR* Total M* W* O* NR* Total
  • p. 224employees themselves (NR). Distribution of workforce by working time, gender and country (at 31 December) Full-time Part-time Under
  • p. 154EMPLOYEES AT 31 DECEMBER AND ANNUAL AVERAGE WORKFORCE BY COUNTRY 2022 2023 2024 No. of employees Average headcount No. of employees
  • p. 203employees Tangible assets other than cash and cash equiv. France 2,209,530 59,036 9,196 975,616 278,008 272,450 1,763,108 1,780,170 2,013 233,259 Spain
  • p. 225Total Abertis 99 691 10,968 0 3 564 DISTRIBUTION OF WORKFORCE BY WORKING TIME, JOB CATEGORY AND COUNTRY (at 31 December
  • p. 381Employees (average) Men Women Total Men Women Total Permanent employees: - Chief Executive Officer 1 – 1 1 – 1 - Senior managers 74 23 97 73 19 92 - Middle
  • p. 204employees is the average workforce at 31 December of each year, on a full-time equivalent basis, for the entire
  • p. 218Employees with disabilities. S1-12 Material 160 Work organisation Organisation of working hours. S1-1 Material 145-147 Number of hours
  • p. 164parental leave Employees that remain in the company after 12 months Men * Women * Men * Women * Men * Women
  • p. 164parental leave Employees that remain in the company after 12 months Men * Women * Men * Women * Men * Women * France
Port of Melbourne Water Transportation — Ports and Services · Australia 2025 Exact p. 65 →p. 30 → Port of Melbourne 2025 Sustainability Report → EY
Evidence in Port of Melbourne’s report

What the report shows

Port of Melbourne’s 2025 Sustainability Report provides detailed data on workforce composition, including full-time equivalent (FTE) counts by gender and part-time employee numbers on page 60, and percentages of female representation on the Board, in executive roles, and across all employees (p.60, p.24). The report also addresses workforce diversity and engagement with specific reference to gender and racial/ethnic group representation for executive management and other employees on page 67. However, the report lacks certain numeric and percentage values related to other diversity metrics, and some data relevant to shipping lines is noted as not applicable or outside the company’s control (p.67).

Evidence-based summary of this company’s own report — not a disclosure template to copy, and not a compliance verdict.

Datapoint coverage

DatapointStatusPage
Employee genderA reported value was found on this page. covered p. 60
Parental leave eligibilityA reported value was found on this page. covered p. 67
Parental leave takersNo quotable evidence was found in this report. not found
Return-to-work countA reported value was found on this page. covered p. 28
Twelve-month retentionNo quotable evidence was found in this report. not found
Return rateNo quotable evidence was found in this report. not found
Retention rateNo quotable evidence was found in this report. not found

Source trail

  • p. 60Male FTE 83 83 79 90 Female FTE 42 48 54 61 Part time employees FTE 8.1 9 6.9 5.5 Male
  • p. 60Female Board directors % 27% 27% 27% 38% Female executive* % 25% 43% 43% 43% Female employees % 37% 39% 42% 42% Gender
  • p. 24gender equity 38% female / 62% male Board 43% female / 57% male Executive 42% female / 58% male All employees 19.8%* Gender
  • p. 60headcount # 135 144 143 159 Male # 84 87 83 92 Female # 51 57 60 67 Permanent contract # 133 143 139 153 Fixed
  • p. 67Workforce Diversity & Engagement Percentage of gender and racial/ethnic group representation for (1) executive management and (2) all other employees - (SV-PS-330a
  • p. 67employees - (TR-MT-000.A) Not applicable. Relevant to shipping lines but not within PoM control. Total distance travelled by vessels
  • p. 60employees*** % 0% 0% 0% 0% Culturally and/or linguistically diverse employees % 40% 35% 38% ****38% LGBTQIA+ employees*** % 6% 2% 3% ****3% Engagement
  • p. 25total, 134 employees (out of 156) completed the pulse survey, representing a response rate of 86%. Overall scores demonstrated a positive
  • p. 26employees and contractors completed 2,627 hours of official training. Among PoM’s direct employees this equated to around 14 hours
  • p. 68Total Scope 1 and total Scope 2 greenhouse gas emissions (tCO2e)  GRI 305: Emissions 2016  Greenhouse Gas (GHG) Protocol, and the National
  • p. 24workforce 159 Employees 92 Male 67 Female Supporting flexible ways of working Hybrid working arrangements available for all employees 153 Permanent
  • p. 28employees who drive for work. Delivered 16 wellbeing workshops to support mental health literacy. Conducted risk- based reviews of subordinate
  • p. 62employees performing ‘like for like’ roles with similar levels of experience and performance outcomes and undertake a gender pay gap review
Check your understanding
A preparer is pulling together the year-end people metrics. One employee took family-related leave in the period, returned before the year closed, and is still on payroll 12 months later.Which headcount figures and rates should be checked so the disclosure covers the full path from entitlement through leave, return, and later retention?
Model answer. Capture the number of staff who could have used parental leave, the number who actually did, the number who came back during the reporting year after that leave finished, and the number of those returners who were still employed 12 months later. Then calculate the two percentages from those same groups: one for coming back to work and one for staying employed after return.
Why this matters. The disclosure follows the employee journey, so the counts and percentages must line up across entitlement, take-up, return, and later retention.
A HR system records leave by reason, but some records show only 'family leave' and do not separate parental leave from other absences. The preparer also has gender data for each person.How should the preparer decide what to include, and what extra breakdown is needed?
Model answer. Use only the cases that can be identified as parental leave, not a broader family-leave bucket unless it can be split cleanly. The figures also need a gender split, so the data should be organised by gender as well as by the parental-leave measures.
Why this matters. If the source data is too broad, it must be refined so the parental-leave figures and gender breakdown are both supportable.
At year-end, 18 employees were entitled to parental leave, 7 took it, 5 returned to work before the reporting date, and 4 of those 5 were still employed 12 months after returning. The preparer is unsure whether the return and retention percentages can be shown because one returner has not yet reached the 12-month point.Can the preparer report the rates now, and how should the incomplete 12-month case be handled?
Model answer. Yes, the rates can be reported from the employees whose outcomes are known. The one returner who has not yet completed 12 months should not be counted in the 12-month retention figure until that period has actually elapsed; otherwise the later retention number would be overstated or based on an unfinished outcome.
Why this matters. Only include people in the later retention count once the 12-month post-return period is complete.
A group payroll team has figures for the parent company and two subsidiaries. One subsidiary uses a different leave policy, but all three entities are in the reporting boundary and the preparer wants one combined disclosure.What should the preparer check before combining the numbers, and what is the key risk if the policies differ?
Model answer. Check that the same parental-leave definitions and counting approach are being used across the whole reporting boundary, so the totals are comparable and can be added together without distortion. If one entity treats the leave differently, the combined figures may mix unlike populations or outcomes, which would weaken the reliability of the disclosure.
Why this matters. Group totals are only meaningful when the underlying leave rules and counting method are consistent across the entities included.
Analyse this disclosure across real reports

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Related framework references

How this disclosure maps across the major reporting frameworks.

GRIPrimary
GRI 401-3
within GRI 401: Employment 2016
Open official source →
ESRSRelated
ESRS S1
Own Workforce — closest topical match (post-Omnibus ESRS catalogue).
IFRSNo equivalent
No direct IFRS S1/S2 topical equivalent.
Related & explore
Questions this page answers
How do I use the GRI 401-3 Employment page to prepare a draft disclosure from scratch?

Start with the plain-language explainer, then work through the step-by-step preparation section and the listed datapoints. The page also gives draft-output prompts, so you can move from data collection to a first narrative and content-index line. ↑ section

What data do I need to collect for GRI 401-3 Employment on this page?

The page says to prepare employee gender, parental leave eligibility, parental leave takers, return-to-work count, twelve-month retention, return rate, and retention rate. Use those as the core dataset before drafting the disclosure. ↑ section

How should I set the scope and methodology for the GRI 401-3 Employment data on this page?

Use the step-by-step preparation section to decide what population and period your figures cover, then keep the approach consistent across the listed datapoints. The page is designed to help you document the method clearly enough for review and assurance. ↑ section

Who should own the GRI 401-3 Employment data in practice?

The page is aimed at sustainability and ESG managers, HR teams, data owners, and assurance reviewers, so ownership should sit with the people who can explain the source data and the calculation approach. The evidence pack and assurance claims are there to help those owners prepare a reviewable file. ↑ section

What evidence pack should I build for GRI 401-3 Employment assurance readiness?

The page includes an evidence pack with five items to support assurance readiness. Use it alongside the six assurance claims so you can show the source data, the checks performed, and the basis for the final numbers. ↑ section

What are the common reporting gaps or mistakes to avoid for GRI 401-3 Employment?

The page lists common reporting gaps and mistakes, so it is useful as a pre-submission check before you finalise the disclosure. Review those points after you have populated the datapoints and before you draft the narrative. ↑ section

How do I use the synthetic example disclosure on the GRI 401-3 Employment page?

Treat the example as a model for structure, not as a source of real figures. It shows how the quantitative table and narrative can be presented, and the numbers are internally consistent for illustration only. ↑ section

What should I put in the draft narrative and content index for GRI 401-3 Employment?

The draft-output section gives visualisation ideas, narrative starters, and a GRI content-index line. Use those to turn your checked data into a concise draft that explains the figures and points readers to the right location in your report. ↑ section

How do I use the Prep & Assurance workbook for GRI 401-3 Employment?

The Download Centre includes a Prep & Assurance workbook in .xlsx format, which is meant to support preparation and assurance readiness. Use it to organise the datapoints, evidence, and checks before you draft the disclosure. ↑ section

Can I use the printable Library Card PDF to brief HR or the data owner on GRI 401-3 Employment?

Yes. The Download Centre includes a printable Library Card PDF, which is useful as a quick reference when you are coordinating data collection, review, and sign-off. ↑ section

How does the ESRS S1 (Own Workforce) reference help me with GRI 401-3 Employment?

The page says ESRS S1 (Own Workforce) is the closest correspondence, so it can help you think about whether any data you collect is reusable across frameworks. It does not mean the reporting requirements are identical, so you still need to follow the page’s own guidance for this disclosure. ↑ section

More questions this page can help with
  • GRI 401-3 Employment checklist for HR data owner and ESG manager
  • GRI 401-3 Employment evidence pack items for assurance review
  • GRI 401-3 Employment workbook download how to use
  • GRI 401-3 Employment example disclosure table and narrative starter
  • GRI 401-3 Employment common mistakes before submission
  • GRI 401-3 Employment data points employee gender parental leave retention rate
  • GRI 401-3 Employment how to calculate return rate and retention rate
  • GRI 401-3 Employment step by step preparation guidance
  • GRI 401-3 Employment assurance claims to verify
  • GRI 401-3 Employment content index line draft
  • GRI 401-3 Employment from company reports examples
  • GRI 401-3 Employment ESRS S1 reusable data
Dr Ross Kurinko
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Sources, status and disclaimer

This LRA assistance tool is designed for educational and internal data-collection purposes. It is not an official interpretation of the GRI Standards, IFRS Sustainability Disclosure Standards or EU CSRD/ESRS requirements. When applying these frameworks in professional practice, users should consult and double-check the official standards, guidance and applicable regulatory sources.